Combined chair arm and connector



' y 1959 c. MACKINTOSH 2,395,540

COMBINED CHAIR ARM AND CONNECTOR Original Filed April 4, 1955 INVENTOR CHHGLES fi myra 5H ATTORNEYS United States Patent @fi ce 2,895,540 Patented July 21 1959 COlVHHNED CHAIR ARM AND CONNECTOR Charles Mackintosh, Los Angeles, Calif.

Original application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 498,855. and this application July 1, 1958, Serial No.

9 Claims. (Cl. 155130) This invention relates to a multiple seating structure of the type including a plurality of individual seats or chairs connected in a row with anm rests between relatively adjoining chairs. It is the primary object of the invention .to provide such a structure in which the arm rest is readily removable and replaceable and functions to auto vmatically interconnect the adjoining chairs with which it is associated, the removal of the arm rests thereafter permitting the chairs to be individually placed and used.

This is a division of my copending application Serial 'No. 498,855 for Nesting Chairs, filed April 4, 1955.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide such :a structure which requires neither specific modification of the chairs nor the providing of attachments for use therewith such as might detract from their individual use.

It is a further important object to provide a novel construction of combined chair arm and connector which incorporates the necessary clamping and holding means in its own structure, which is quite simple and sturdy in its structure and operation and which is particularly adapted for use with nesting type chairs without interfering with the ability of separate rows of said interconnected chairs to nest with each other.

It is a further object to so associate such a chair-connector with the individual chairs that the connector is capable of securing the interconnected chairs against both relative angular and translational movement.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a combined chair arm and connector which advantageously employs the inherent slight resiliency or stiff yieldability in its own structure for facilitating its application to and removal from operative relation with the chairs and for securely maintaining it in operative position relative to the chairs.

The foregoing objects and advantages are attained through the novel combination of elements such as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, which are intended only for purposes of illustration and not for limitation. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a medial fore and aft vertical section through one of a series of relatively interconnected chairs, having the combination arm rest and interconnecting element of the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 showing portions of two relatively adjoining interconnected chairs;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end portion of the arm rest exemplifying one means of coupling the combined arm rest and its diagonal supporting brace in operative position to the adjoining chair back rests;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of the combined arm rest and connector showing the arrangement of the clamping means for cooperation with the adjoining rear legs of the interconnected chairs; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the frame of a somewhat dilferent type of chair together with a combined arm rest and connector having a somewhat modified coupling means for association with the chair :backs.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the particular chairs adapted for use with the invention may be of any more or less conventional type.

The chairs here shown for purposes of illustration preferably comprise metal frames, each of which comprises laterally opposed side frame members generally designated 10, one of which is illustrated clearly in Fig. 1. Each of these side frame members 10 will include a downwardly directed front leg portion 12 to provide one of the front legs of the chair, a generally horizontal seat portion 14 and an upwardly directed back rest portion 16, terminating in an upwardly directed free end 24. The two side frame members 10 in this instance are rigidly interconnected by suitable cross frame members or cross bars 18, 2t) and 22, respectively, it being noted that the cross bar 22 is spaced somewhat below the free ends 24' of the respective back members.

The medial cross bar or member 20 may advantage-- ously comprise the bridging or connecting piece of an integral U-shaped frame member which also includes transversely opposed generally vertical legs 26 depending from the opposite ends of the cross bar 20. These, of course, constitute the rear legs of the chair structure. In accordance with usual practice, conventional cross braces such as 28 and 30 may be employed to rigidly interconnect the chair legs against relative deflection. The chair such as here illustrated is of the type which employs a unitary seat and back rest structure supported on the frame as thus far described and having a generally horizontal seat portion 32 together with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined back rest portion 34. The unitary sheet material providing the two portions 32 and 34 may consist of metal, fiber board, or any other suitable material, same being disposed between the two side frame members 10 of each chair and supported primarily on the cross members 18 and 22 thereof.

The type of chairs here illustrated are of the nesting variety in which the spacing between the rear legs, 26 of each chair is greater than the spacing between the front legs 12 thereof, whereby the front legs of one chair may be inserted between the rear legs of a relatively nesting chair, the seat of the latter chair being disposed above and resting on the seat of the former and the back rest portions of the two chairs being brought into generally contiguous relation.

For the purpose of selectively securing a plurality of such chairs in a row to adapt them for most advantageous use in auditoriums and the like, there may be provided the novel and preferably unitary arm rest and connector elements 36 of the invention, the preferred form of which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. Such element 36 essentially comprises a lever of special configuration adapting it for use also as an arm rest, the said lever incorporating clamping means at its lower end for cooperation with the adjoining rear legs of the interconnected chairs incident to upward and rear ward tilting of the lever, together with coupling means carried by the lever for securing it in its upwardly and rearwardly tilted operative position to the interconnected chairs.

To this end each of said elements 36 will preferably be formed of a generally flat elongated strip of heavy sheet metal or the like and will include a generally horizontal arm rest or arm rest portion 38 adapted to extend in a fore and aft direction in a plane between the adjoining chairs with its rear end projecting between. the backs of the chairs. A diagonal brace or portion 40 extends in a downwardly and rearwardly direction from its juncture with the forward end of the arm rest 38 and terminates at its lower end: preferably infa portion40. disposed substantially in a plane parallel to the common plane of the rear legs 26. This lower end portion 40 constitutes the clamping portion of the element and carries front and rear..clamping members 42 and .44 respectively, which are .relatively. spaced apart in a horizontal fore and aft direction for disposition forwardly andrearwardly respectively of the relatively adjoining rear legs of the chairs which are to be interconnected.

. In. order to achieye the desired spacing between the clamping members 42 and 44 in the present embodiment, the member 44 is carried on and rigidly fixed to the rear face of the clamping portion 40 of the brace 40 while its lowermost extremity terminates in a generally horizontally bent and rearwardly projecting section 41 (Fig. 4) at the rear edgeofwhich is rigidly secured the clampingmember 44. Both of the members 42 and project transversely beyond the sides of the portion 40 and are provided with projections such as 46 and 48 respectively extending rearwardly and forwardly partially around and on relatively remote sides of the two interconnected legs 26.

It will be readily apparent that the above described clamping means may be operatively applied to interconnect the adjoining rear legs of the chairs by inserting the lower end portion 40 rearwardly between said legs and bringing the legs together against opposite sides of said portion, the entire structure or element 36 at this time being tilted downwardly or in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 1 and the arm 38 at this time being disconnected from the backs of the chairs. In order to position the elements 36 at predetermined uniform height and against downward displacement there may be advantageously provided on the lower end portion 40' of the element 36 a suitable bracket or ledge 50, the ends of which are adapted to rest upon the adjoining end portions of the cross members 20 of the respective chairs.

Thereafter, in order to produce the desired clamping engagement of the members 42 and 44 with the chair legs 26 interposed therebetween, the entire element or lever 36 is merely tilted upwardly and rearwardly or in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1. In order to secure the element 36 in the upwardly tilting position aforesaid, the rear end of the arm 38 is connected to the backs of the adjoining chairs by an easily established and disengageable coupling arrangement which may be of various forms, though it assumes a particularly novel and advantageous form in the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

In such form and as may be readily seen by reference to Fig. 3, the coupling comprises a coupling plate 52 rigidly secured to the rear end of the arm rest 38 and having transversely spaced apertures 54-54 therethrough in a vertical direction for reception of the free ends 24 of the backs or back rest portions 16 of the respective chairs.

In order to permit ready application of these coupling plates 52 to the free end portions 24, the rear ends of the arm rests 38 may be resiliently deflected upwardly as the element 36 is tilted rearwardly, until the apertures or sockets 54 are in registry with the respective free ends 24 of the back rests whereupon the rear end of the arm 38 may be lowered and the free ends 24 received in these sockets or apertures 54. The release of the force tending to deflect the coupling member 52 upwardly will then permit it to descend over the free ends 24 until it engages the cross bars 22 of the respective adjoining chairs which then firmly position it in a vertical direction whereby it will readily support the weight which may be imposed upon it in use.

While it is desirable to form the element 36 of metal or other material having sufficient inherent resiliency to permit the deflectibility of the arm rest 38 as above mentioned, this is not essential. Where the element 36 is formed of extremely rigid material it may be applied at a height which will initially bring its coupling element 52 into operative position over the free ends 24. Following this the clamping members and thus the element 36 in its entirety may be slid down the interconnected rear legs 26 to the full extent permitted by the stop or flange 50 and by engagement of the coupling member 52 with the cross bars 22.

Some inherent resiliency of the element 36, however, is desirable not only for the reasons mentioned above but in addition so that the tilting of the element 36 as it approaches operative position will slightly resiliently flex the brace portion 40 thereof and thus cause the same to exert a constant resilient force urging the clamping members 42 and 44 into tight clamping engagement with the legs 26.

In order to permit removal of the element 36 from the interconnected chairs it will be necessary only to raise the coupling element 52 from the free ends of the back rest member 16, tilt the element 36 forward to release the clamp members 42, 44 and then either move the interconnected chairs apart, or alternatively, to so rotate the element 36 generally about the axis of its portion 40 as to permit withdrawal of the clamp members 42 and 44 between the adjoining leg 36 of the interconnecting chairs.

In the further embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the chair arm rest and connector element 36 has been slightly modified by the provision of a somewhat different form of coupling element 52 to adapt it for use with generally horizontal portions of adjoining chair frames. The chair in this case has a frame of somewhat different type than the embodiment of chair earlier described. To this end the chair structure incorporates side frame members 103, 103 interconnected in spaced relation as by means of the cross bars 107 and 108, the cross bar 107 constituting the bridging member of a separate U-shaped frame, the depending legs of which constitute the rear legs of the chair as in the preceding embodiment. The rear legs 107' are braced against rearward deflection in this structure by the brace elements 106 interconnected between each of them and its associated side frame member 103. The back rest portions 113 of these side frame members terminate in inwardly bent portions 104 at their upper ends directed toward each other and terminate in brackets adapted to support between them a conventional wooden or other suitable back rest. The seat of the chair itself is omitted from Fig. 5, it being apparent that such seat may comprise simply a generally flat horizontal structural element not shown which may be secured to connecting tabs 114 on the cross bar 108.

The modified coupling member 52 in this embodiment is adapted for cooperation with the inwardly turned portions 104 of adjoining chairs and to this end comprises a cross bar carried fixedly at the rear end of the arm portion 38'. Projecting forwardly from this member 52' are socketed or bifurcated wings 53, each adapted to receive between its furcations the horizontally extending portion 104 of its respective chair back rest frame structure. In order to apply or remove this coupling element to or from the portions 104, it is necessary only to force the arm rest 38 rearwardly in a horizontal direction, this being permitted by resilient rearward bending or flexing of the diagonal brace 40' constituting an integral portion of the structure 36'. It is to be understood that the clamping means (not shown) at the lower end of the brace 40 may be constructed identifically to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

In each of the embodiments of the invention herein described it will be readily apparent that the arm rest and connector element is adapted for ready application and removal to or from the respective chairs. When operatively applied to interconnect adjoining chairs it will obviously secure them against relative translational movements in a horizontal direction as well as against relative vertical movements. Moreover, in each of the constructions herein illustrated it will be apparent that the adjoining chairs will also be interconnected in a manner which will restrain them against relative angular movement in a horizontal plane or in other planes. This will be apparent by reference to Fig. 1 when it is realized that the back rest portions 16 project upwardly at a definite and substantial angle of inclination relative to the common plane of the rear legs 26 of each chair, and the arm rest 38 is connected to the upper free end 24 of each frame portion 16 at a location which will be spaced very substantially out of alignment with the leg 26 on that side of the chair. Thus, any forces imposed on the chair tending to rotate it about one of its legs 26 in the clamping members 42, 44 will be opposed by the coaction between the coupling member 52 and the free ends 24 of the frame members due to the fact that the interconnection between these members is radially displaced from the axis of rotation defined by the leg or legs 26.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dual functioning chair arm and chair connecting element for use with a pair of adjoining chairs, comprising a generally horizontal arm rest, having its major horizontal axis extending from front to rear, a brace integrally connected to the forward end of said arm rest and extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, front and rear clamping members fixedly carried by the lower end portion of said brace and relatively spaced apart in the direction of said major axis, said clamping members projecting from said brace transversely to said major axis for reception between them of relatively adjoining legs of said adjoining chairs, and coupling means at the rear end of said arm rest for securing same to a chair with the said brace an upwardly swung position to bring said clamping members into operative clamping engagement with said legs.

2. A multiple seating structure including a pair of chairs in adjoining side by side relation, both facing in the same direction, said chairs respectively including relatively adjoining rear legs and back rests, in combination with a dual functioning chair arm and connecting element, said element including a generally horizontal arm rest extending forwardly and rearwardly between said chairs, a diagonal brace extending from the forward end of said arm rest downwardly and rearwardly between said adjoining rear legs, relatively spaced front and rear clamping members fixedly carried by the lower end portion of said brace on the front and rear sides respectively of said rear legs, whereby upward tilting of the brace about its lower end portion will urge said clamping members into firm clamping engagement with said relatively adjoining rear legs, and coupling means carried by the rear end of said arm rest for securing the brace in its upwardly tilted position to the back rests of said chairs.

3. A multiple seating structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said coupling means is attached to the back rest of each said chair at a location substantially out of alignment with its said rear legs, whereby to resist any tendency of said chair to rotate about the said leg.

4. A multiple seating structure including a pair of chairs in adjoining side by side relation, both facing in the same direction, said chairs respectively including relatively adjoining rear legs, seats and back rests about said seats, in combination with a dual functioning chair arm and connecting element of unitary construction disposed between said chairs, said element including a generally horizontal arm rest extending forwardly and rearwardly between said chairs, a diagonal brace extending from the forward end of said arm rest downwardly and rearwardly between said adjoining rear legs, front and rear clamping members fixedly carried by the said brace on the front and rear sides of the said legs, said clamping members having portions disposed on relatively remote sides of said adjoining legs to prevent spreading thereof, whereby upward tilting of the brace about its lower end will urge said clamping members into firm clamping engagement with said adjoining rear legs, and a coupling means carried by the rear end of said arm rest for connection to the adjoining back rests of the said chairs to secure the brace in its upwardly tilted position and to fixedly support the rear end of said arm rest.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said back rests of the adjoining chairs include upright free ended frame portions respectively, and said coupling means includes a plate formed with sockets for reception of said free ended portions.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said element is of stifliy flexible material to facilitate application of said coupling means over said free ended portions.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said back rests of the adjoining chairs include relatively adjacent upright frame members having horizontal members fixed thereto on their relatively remote sides, said coupling member comprising a cross piece extending across and rearwardly of said adjacent uprights, and forwardly projecting wings extending from the ends of each cross piece on relatively remote sides of said uprights, said wings being horizontally bifurcated to receive between them said horizontal members, and for abutment with said uprights.

8. A dual functioning chair arm and chair connecting element as defined in claim 1, wherein the said coupling means comprises a plate secured at the rear end of said arm rest and provided with a pair of transversely spaced vertically downwardly opening sockets for reception of free upwardly projecting portions of the back rests of adjoining chairs.

9. A dual functioning chair arm and chair connecting element as defined in claim 1, wherein the said coupling means comprises a cross bar secured at the rear end of said arm rest and projecting transversely to said arm rest, and bifurcated wings projecting forwardly from opposite ends of said bar for reception between their respective furcations of horizontally extending frame portions of adjoining chairs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,688,357 Towne Sept. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 487,416 Great Britain June 21, 1938 

